Writing an Eye-Catching Resume

Did you know that many employers get hundreds of resumes for a job posting and the better the job, the more the resumes! With this in mind, it can be disheartening to even think about throwing on one more resume; after all, at face value, the odds aren’t precisely in your favor.

But there are ways to create an eye-catching resume that will allow you to make your way to the next step of securing that job. Here are some easy and effective ways to make sure that employers actually see your resume and it doesn’t just get lost in the shuffle.

8 Tips for Writing Your Resume

Resume Writing Tip #1: If you’re submitting your resume electronically, make sure you hit the right keywords several times. Every job posting online will have certain keywords such as ‘accounting’, ‘management’, ‘entry-level’, ‘marketing’, etc. Make sure that your resume and cover letter (if applicable) also hits those keywords so that you resume gets through any automated sorting and to a recruiter. Make sure to choose the word that are relevant and actually fit in your resume though; you don’t want to be a keyword spammer!

Resume Writing Tip #2: Don’t be generic! Make sure that your resume is addressing the job post and how you would fit their needs. Every single resume you make should be customized for a job post (though perhaps cherry picked from a ‘master’ resume that you keep on your computer).

Resume Writing Tip #3: Tell it with a story. Instead of listing off your duties, talk about your accomplishments. Instead of the things you were responsible for in a previous job, talk about the unique things you brought to your former employer. Remember, every baker makes bread, but what about that time you made a multi-tiered cake that had to be rainbow colored?

Resume Writing Tip #4: Be specific in the details. You were in HR and you handled the interns. Don’t just say that, say instead that you worked in human resources specializing in working with interns and you worked with X amount a year to help them secure jobs. Being specific will make you stand out in the pack.

Avoid them. Grab a thesaurus and say things like ‘superb’ and ‘indispensible’. Other good words are ‘increased’, ‘reduced’, ‘accomplished’, ‘on time’ and ‘under budget’ (hmmm, all things companies strive for!).

Resume Writing Tip #6: Use a single font throughout your document, avoid using colored font and for goodness sake, use a font that is readable and can be printed out to be read. No fancy fonts!

Resume Writing Tip #7: Keep it simple and streamlined. Use bullet points to break up long paragraphs, avoid pronouns, bold keywords and get rid of underlines.

Resume Writing Tip #8: Be creative about how you job experiences will help you with this job. ALL jobs have transferable skills. Going from McDonalds to accounting? Highlight the fact that you were always on time and never had a weird balance in the cash register. With a bit of creativity any job has skills that can be transferred to any other job, so don’t be embarrassed of any work you’ve done in the past.

Most of all make sure that your resume is uniquely yours; it showcases how you would best suit a job posting and what you bring to the table. And don’t forget the follow-up; you can do things like call/email the company to see how things are going and make sure that you have the correct contact information for further details. This shows that you are serious about wanting the job and that you’re ready to start! Good luck.